Desk tops for school classroom desks typically are formed with a solid, homogeneous core structure. Although the desk top constructions may provide a smooth and flat working surface, the homogeneous, single-piece construction makes the desk top very heavy, which is an undesirable characteristic for educational furniture for use in a classroom setting. Further, such desk top constructions readily can be damaged if the periphery of the desk top strikes a companion desk or if it strikes the floor. The useful life of such educational furniture thus is often limited because of the structural limitations of the material used in its construction. Further, the cost of manufacture often is unacceptable because of the high cost of materials.
Durability of such prior art constructions can be improved if the thickness of the desk top is increased, but that would increase the weight and make the desk top more prone to damage, especially at the perimeter of the upper writing surface. The single-piece construction of such known desk top designs may make it unfeasible to manufacture educational furniture of a chosen color.